Kolkata schools tweak online teaching pattern

KOLKATA: Many city schools that have been sanitised are gearing up to ferry teachers to and fro campuses from Monday. The schools hope this will help improve the quality of online classes because most of them have Wi-Fi connectivity. While some schools have also decided to send laboratory equipment to the teachers’ residences to help them set up makeshift laboratories for online demonstrations, others have equipped Wi-Fi at teachers’ homes.
The measures are being implemented keeping in mind the fact that students may not come to school till August 15 and online modes of teachings need to be scaled up to accommodate such long-term virtual teaching-learning requirements.
Teachers of South City International School will start taking online classes from the campus on Monday.
DPS Howrah has done up its laboratories since the lab assistants have started coming to school. It’s now planning to set up a special routine for its physics, chemistry and biology teachers so that they can be brought in once or twice to school in private vehicles for online practical classes. “We are bringing in the lab assistants and administration staff already. This can now be extended to the teachers as well,” said principal Sunita Arora.
Heritage School has sent physics lab equipments to the head teacher’s house and the chemistry head of the department has also set up a laboratory at his residence from where online practical classes are being streamed, confirmed academic co-ordinator, Souvic Jati. New Town School has not only set up portable Wi-Fi at the homes of 70 teachers, it has also offered to bring back teachers to campus if they feel that they can perform better using school infrastructure, said principal Shatabdi Bhattacharya.
Most schools agreed that there will be a sea change as the dependence on texts will reduce. Each concept will now have to be taught through projects or do-it-yourself assignments.
While many schools had started their online assessments on topics covered, they agreed that only the brilliant or above average could assimilate and perform well and that it will take time for the average and below average students to start responding. Teachers have been asked to slow down and ensure that there is no learning lag.
DPS Ruby Park has decided to stress on project-based learning and a complete overhaul of its assessment pattern where students will be encouraged to write small concept notes.
“The teacher has to surprise the class repeatedly by asking questions and getting kids to do small tests frequently. The teacher knows her class response by now and should be able to identify kids who need greater attention,” said Mukta Nain, director of Birla High School for Boys. Quiz and multiple-choice questions will be mandatory at Asian International School, said principal Vijaylakshmi Kumar.
Schools like Apeejay, are either asking teachers to work on Saturdays or for an extra hour every evening to hold special sessions to clear doubts.
“We can revise the syllabus up to class VIII because the board allows that,” said S Ganguli, principal of Calcutta Public School.
La Martiniere schools have told teachers to re-structure syllabus till middle school in such a manner that reduces stress on kids. “We are preparing to stay with this mode for at least three months, pending guidance from governments,” said secretary of the two schools, Supriyo Dhar.